Second Childhood
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.
Facing the dark, vast space
This week, the Sun sextiles Uranus (July 5, 2021, 12:14 pm PDT) on two evocative Sabian symbols. The Sun is on 14 Cancer, A very old man facing a vast, dark space to the northeast, while Uranus is on 14 Taurus, Shellfish groping and children playing. As I look toward my 60th birthday next month, here’s something I’d like to share with young ‘uns.
After passing through your second Saturn return, you may experience a kind of second childhood. There’s certainly an elder within you, staring into the darkness of the abyss. It’s tempting to get stuck there, peering into the unknown. But there’s a child in there too, at the unchanging core of who we are, and it can be awakened by doing something new, something unexpected.
The Sun’s sextile to Uranus (July 5, 2021, 12:14 pm PDT) is a two or three day reminder to embrace change. This doesn’t mean we have to settle for chaos. But there’s little doubt we’ll remain younger and more vital if we seize the opportunities of change, rather than letting the fear of it stop us in our tracks.
Data retrieval
I recently ran across a headline from (…I want to say…?) the New York Times about psychologists reporting a dramatic uptick in patients who are troubled by memory loss and the inability to retrieve names and common words. As it happens, stress and anxiety – the kind you might experience after nearly a year and a half living with a global pandemic – can also have a profound affect on memory (and tend to be a bit more common than dementia among people in their 40’s and 50’s).
I found this a relief, because in recent months, I’ve been finding it really tough to focus. I move rapidly from one task to another, only to freeze in my tracks with no memory of what I was on my way to do. I’ve found that if I sit for a few seconds and take a deep breath, by the time I release it I can feel myself relax, and I immediately remember what I was going to do.
As Mercury finishes its long, frenetic journey through Gemini, its final aspect is the last of three squares to Neptune (July 6, 2021, 10:39 am PDT- the previous two were on May 22 and June 5). Mercury is the planet of cognition, and Neptune is the planet of forgetfulness – but also, of deep relaxation. So this week, if you find yourself struggling to retrieve details from your brain’s hard drive, the answer might just be to stop trying so hard.
Beautiful
Are you beautiful? Worthy? Lovable? And who gets to decide that, exactly? As Venus in Leo opposes Saturn (July 6, 2021, 7:36 pm PDT), negative feedback or flat-out rejection might force us back onto ourselves. The question Saturn wants us to ask is, can we approve of ourselves even when others don’t?
Just two days later, Venus squares Uranus (July 8, 2021, 12:25 pm PDT). Here’s an opportunity to break away from other people’s opinions about our worthiness and instead, celebrate our true, unique beauty – of face, body, mind, talent, and spirit.
Venus is also a financial planet, and money is another way of evaluating what things – and what we ourselves – are worth. When Venus tangles with Saturn, we usually have to work extra-hard for our money (Saturn). And during her squirmishes with Uranus, we might encounter sudden gains or reversals (Uranus). That’s noteworthy from a practical standpoint, but also because our relationship with money reveals scads about our confidence, security, and values. Sample questions: Are you giving more than you’re getting? And is money making you more or less free?
Nurture and release
It think it’s a singularly courageous act to bring children into the world. Nothing else, I imagine, throws into such bold relief how little control we have. As a child leaves the womb, when it starts school, and eventually moves away from home altogether, a parent’s control lessens exponentially. And if you’re a person who really values being in control, this must be a nightmare.
This New Moon is in Cancer (July 9, 2021, 6:17 pm PDT), the sign of nurturing, finds the the Sun and Moon opposed control-loving Pluto. Whether you’re trying create a human or bring a project to fruition, you have to contend with the limits of your control. Whether you love a pet, plant a garden, or build a home, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. This New Moon offers a simple message: However scary, futile, menacing, or hopeless it seems to do so, give birth to something. Nourish someone. Nurture the life force. Do what’s within your power – and learn to let go of what isn’t.
Listen more than you talk
There are many sorts of intelligence and lots of ways to communicate. While Mercury has been in Gemini (since May 3), we’ve had a front seat view of the strictly cerebral sort of intelligence, the kind that aces exams and becomes a champion on Jeopardy. But as Mercury enters Cancer (July 11, 2021, 1:35 pm PDT) – one of the so-called “mute” signs, symbolized by soundless creatures – it’s time to hone your emotional intelligence. Cancer doesn’t move in a straight line, so be prepared to tune into more subtle communication cues in the coming few weeks. Look into someone’s eyes. Watch for tell-tale flickers around the corners of their mouth when they talk to you; observe the body language. Listen more than you talk – and when you speak, be as gentle as you can. We’ll all be a little more touchy than usual.
Writing and images © 2021 by April Elliott Kent
